Jesus Christ the Almighty! Pt. 3
Table of Contents
I now arrive at the finale: Jesus Christ the Almighty! Pt. 2.
In this final part, I will provide further evidence that John intends to depict Jesus as the Almighty.
Recall that the Greek term for Almighty, i.e., Pantokrator, speaks to God’s sovereignty over all creation as the supreme King.
In light of this, the Evangelist sees Jesus appearing as a young male Lamb that had been slain but is alive, having seven horns and seven eyes which are God’s seven Spirits:
“Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?’ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’
“Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.” Revelation 5:1-7
Keep in mind this fact that no created being in creation was worthy enough to approach God on his throne, since this will show that the Son and Spirit are not creatures.
The number seven in the Bible takes on the meaning of perfection, completion, that which lacks nothing. This is derived from the story of Genesis where God rested on the seventh day since everything in creation was complete and was very good:
“And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day... Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. And on the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on it He rested from all His work which God had created in making it.” Genesis 1:31-2:3 Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)
That’s also why Revelation can say that it takes seven plagues to finish and complete God’s wrath:
“I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed.” Revelation 15:1
Now according to Scripture, something that is complete is perfect since it lacks nothing:
“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4
Moreover, a horn according to Scripture is a reference to a king who possesses power, dominion and sovereignty:
“The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.” Revelation 17:12
With the foregoing in view, we are now ready to decode the symbolism and imagery that John saw.
The reason Jesus appears as a young male lamb is because he is the new Passover of the believers who was slain to redeem them from their bondage to sin:
“Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” 1 Corinthians 5:6-8
“And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.’” Revelation 5:7-10 English Standard Version (ESV)
The reason Christ has seven horns is because this points to his being the almighty, all-sovereign King, whose authority and power are complete and lack nothing. Jesus’ seven eyes points to his being omniscient, that he perfectly sees and is fully aware of all things that take place. These eyes being called God’s seven Spirits points to Christ’s union with the Holy Spirit, that the Son is present by the Spirit throughout the earth. This in turn points to the Holy Spirit being perfect and complete, since he lacks nothing also.
Elsewhere, John describes Jesus as not only possessing God’s seven Spirits, but also the seven stars that are the angels/bishops overseeing the seven churches:
“The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” Revelation 1:20
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands.” Revelation 2:1
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” Revelation 3:1
Therefore, the symbolism of seven horns and seven eyes points Jesus being the Almighty King who oversees and superintends all creation. This is further corroborated from the fact of Jesus possessing the very eyes of YHWH:
“‘For behold, the stone that I have put before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ declares Yahweh of hosts, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.’” Zechariah 3:9 LSB
“For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—these are the eyes of Yahweh which roam to and fro throughout the earth.” Zechariah 4:10 LSB
That the risen Lamb possesses YHWH’s own eyes proves that he is YHWH God Almighty.
As if this weren’t remarkable enough, Christ and the Spirit are differentiated from every created being in creation:
“Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!’
“Then I heard EVERY CREATURE in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and ALL THAT IS IN THEM, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!’ The four living creatures said, ‘Amen,’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.” Revelation 5:11-14
Since every creature in existence renders to Jesus the same exact worship and for the exact same duration that God receives, and since the Holy Spirit is joined to the Lamb as his seven eyes, this means that the Son and the Spirit are not part of creation. Rather, both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are on the same side of the Father in the Creator/creation divide, proving that Father, Son and Spirit eternally exist as the one true and uncreated sovereign God of all creation.
In light of the above, could John have been any clearer in his witness to Jesus being the Almighty and to the Holy Spirit being essentially one with both the Father and the Son?
Unless indicated otherwise, scriptural references taken from the New International Version (NIV).
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